Ever have one of those moments where you’re left wondering “What if…?” That was almost the case for Down In Ashes earlier this year. Instead, they find themselves in the Final 6 of the 2011 edition of the Big Money Shot, and they have picked up a cool 20 grand along the way.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Kim Vincent (lead vocals and guitar) about their journey this year. As Kim put it, “It almost didn’t happen.” The band hadn’t really planned on entering this year’s competition. The day before applications were due, they decided to drop theirs off. In hindsight, it was a wise decision.

While the temptation is there to buy some nice new gear, the band has so far resisted it. Instead, they’ve wisely spent their winnings. Throughout the year, they have spent time in the studio with Mike Langford recording a new EP. While all the songs are mixed and ready to go, your ears will have to wait until early 2012 for a listen. More on that in a bit.

The band also spent time filming a video for their first single off the EP, Killing My Heart. It was directed by Adrian Langley, who also took the helm with last year’s She’s Wanting You. The video has just been released, and you can view it below.

The Big Money Shot has kept the band busy throughout the year with various performances and workshops. One of those workshops gave Kim the chance to co-write a song with Lukas Rossi. The result of that collaboration was Breaking the Black. The song has been very well received at their live shows. You can listen to an acoustic version recently posted on youtube.

Being chosen as one of the top 6 bands in the Big Money Shot, the guys were required to organize and fund a 5 city tour through Ontario. Along with Silvergun & Spleen and Hearts & Mines, Down In Ashes will be playing the following dates:

Sunday, October 23 – Waterloo, ON – Maxwell’s Music House

Monday, October 24 – Hamilton, ON – The Casbah

Tuesday, October 25 – Kingston, ON – The Merchant Tap House

Wednesday, October 26 – Peterborough, ON – The Historic Red Dog

Thursday, October 27 – Toronto, ON – The Rivoli

With 2011 drawing to a close, Down In Ashes is getting things in order for 2012. They are looking to do more extensive touring and it is important to have a complete package lined up. For this reason, the new album is being kept under wraps until they are ready to tour in support.

In the meantime, you can catch them at the Big Money Shot Grand Finals on November 18th at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. Cheer them on as they hope to pick up an additional $30,000. That money would go a long way to help funding next year’s tour.